Carbohydrates are sugar compounds that can be simple or complex. Complex carbohydrates can be found as starch in cereals, pasta and potatoes, but also in fruit and vegetables. Simpler sugar compounds reach the body, for instance, with sweet dishes and beverages. 55–60 % of our energy intake should originate from complex carbohydrates.

Protein is a basic module of our cells. Via our nutrition, proteins supply our body with important amino-acids. As a source of energy they are useful to it in emergencies, for example during a starvation period. This is not a normal condition, and your body will only start to use muscle tissue for energy under extreme conditions, such as if you are very sick, severely malnourished or not consuming enough calories over an extended period of time to support normal body functions. Foods high in protein are eggs, meat, fish and dairy products, but also pulses, nuts and cereals.

Fat has a very high energy content. We absorb it – usually too much of it – with sausage, cheese, fish, but also with chocolate, olives and nuts. If we permanently get too little exercise, we become overweight or even ill. But fat is not always the same fat. Many of them are unhealthy, such as trans-fats in deep- fried foods. Others are good for us, such as omega-3 fatty acids in saltwater fish.